印刷机 (yìn shuā jī) — printing press; printing machine

Definition

noun

printing pressprinting machine

Measure word · 台

印刷机。
Zhè tái yìn shuā jī shì zuó tiān yùn lái de.
This printing machine was delivered yesterday.
印刷机。
Bào zhǐ dōu shì yòng dà xíng yìn shuā jī yìn de.
Newspapers are all printed using large printing presses.
印刷机。
Chǎng lǐ xīn mǎi le yì tái cǎi sè yìn shuā jī.
The factory just bought a color printing machine.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

印刷printing

联合Side by side

机jīmachine

In 印刷机, 印刷 gives printing and 机 gives machine, naming a machine for printing.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

㕞

㕞㕞刷shuā

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

刷 uses 刀, a knife, and pairs it with 㕞 as a sound component.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木几机

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

几

Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.